Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet, and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Co-operatives, Honourable Ezechiel Joseph, are currently in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a one-day meeting with Winfresh executives.

St. Vincent’s Prime Minister, Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, and Minister of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation, Honourable Saboto Caesar, are also at the meeting.

“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the future of Winfresh,” explained Minister Joseph. “We also want to strengthen the focus and support to the banana industry in particular so we are better placed to take advantage of the opportunities in the various markets.”

In his New Year Address to the Nation, Prime Minister Chastanet spoke about the support and incentives government has been giving to farmers and noted that in 2016, banana production increased despite the challenges from natural disasters.

“We are actively working on new markets and discussions remain underway with Winfresh to strengthen the company’s operations and expand its export base,” noted the Prime Minister.

Winfresh is owned by the governments of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Dominica.